Knitting needle



KNITTING NEEDLE Filed Junel, 1936 A ORNEY,

Patented Sept. 21, 1.937`

UNITED STATE KNITTING NEEDLE Ethel W. Burnham, Denver, olo.

Application June 1, 1

936, serial No. 82,913

13 claims. (c1. sis-111) This invention relates to improvementsinknitting needles of both the straight and circular type, employed inknitting ilat'or tubular articles, by either the Continental or otherknown methods.

It is the object of this invention to produce a knitting needle thatshall be so constructed that it can be used with a crochet actioninstead of the usual knitting movement,'and which therefore enables theknitter to hold the thread in the left hand instead of the' right, andthereby eliminatethe movement required for throwing the loop over theneedle. t

Another object is to provide a knitting needle l" having one endprovided on one side with a double pronged hook, one prong of which isemployed in the regular knitting operation, while the other is used inpurling.

`A further object is to provide aknitting band having interchangeablepoints so that the knitting operation can be reversed by merelyinterchanging the points, thereby obviating the necessity of reversingthe needle in the knitting.

A still further object is to provide a knitting needle havingone endterminating in a spherical point which prevents stitches from beingaccidentaliy dropped and which also prevents injury to the knittersfinger if pressure is Iexerted thereon, the other end having a hooksimilar to a crochet hook.

The above and other objects that may appear are attained by means of aconstruction and an arrangement of parts that will now be described indetail, reference for this purpose being had to the accompanying drawingin which the needle has been illustrated, and in which Figure 1 is aview showing the complete needle;

Figure 2 is `a view of the left hand end portion of the needle, drawn toan enlarged scale, and partly in section; .A y Figure 3 is a viewsimilar to that shown in Figure 2, but illustrating the right hand endof the needle; l

Figure 4 is a side elevation'o in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a view, partly in section, showing a modified form ofconstruction;

Figure 6 shows a\rigid needle similar to that on the left end in Figurel;

Figure '7 shows a rigid needle similar to that on the right end inFigure i; and

Figure 8 is a side view of the hook .end of the needle, showing a slightmodification.

The needle consists of a band having a central flexible section 5constructed in a well known f the point shown ping stitches.

manner from wires coiled about a central flexible core, as shown inFigure l, or of two straight needles likeV those shown in Figures 6 and'7.

To each end of the flexible section a solid rigid piece `Ii isautogenously connected as by welding, 5

as illustrated in Figure 1, or by a threaded connection as shown inFigure 5. The pieces 6 are of greater diameter than the central section,and are tapered where they connect with the ends of the ends thereof.

At points marked 8'the tapered ends make an angle with the remainingportions of the parts 6 so as to prevent the formation of a sharpbendwhere they join the center section. A removable tip 9, preferablyprovided with a spherical point II), is connected with the left hand endpiece 6 of the flexible central section by a threaded con-- nection, asshown in Figure 2. The piece 6 has an aiakthreaded opening, and theremovable tip a threaded shank II. The joint between piece 6-- 20 andthe tip 9 must be carefully made so that it will be smooth when theparts are assembled.

The piece 6 attached to the right hand end of the band 5 has a removabletip I2 attached to it by the same kind of a threaded connection shown inFigure 2. The threaded shank II of tip I2 is identical with thecorresponding shank Vof tip 9 so that the tips may be interchanged.

The tip I2 terminates in a hook I3 having two prongs I4, whose shape canbe clearly seen from Figures 3 and 4, in which the hook has beenpurposely enlarged relative to the tip for the sake of clearness.The/back I5 of the tapered shank of the hook is curved rearwardly so asto extend slightly to the rear of the tip I2 and is then forwardlyinclined, forming a tapering head I6 and terminating in the point Il.

'I'he reason for providing the hook with two prongs is that one willalways be in proper position for knitting and the other in position for40 purling, when the latter is accomplished by the method in which thethread and the hooked needle are on top of the`other end of the needle.

`When it is desired to reverse the knitting the tips 9 and I2 areinterchanged, whereby the di- 45 rection of the knitting can proceed inthe opposite direction. If a needle having dissimilar ends is notprovided with interchangeable tips, the knitting can only be reversed byreversing the needle in the knitting, which involves a considerableamount of labor and often results in drop- The spherical point I0 guardsagainst the accidental dropping of stitches and saves the index fingerof the right hand from injury if it is used to push against the letthand end oi' the needle, as is sometimes done. It is possible to employthe needle with the spherical point III absent and the hook provided -asshown.Y

'Ihe spherical point -can also be used in the absence of the hook, orwith a single hook, which modifications are contemplated.

The use oi' a hook of the crochet needle type simpliiles theknitting`operation for reasons already pointed out, and when a doubleVpronged hook is.used, the same advantage is had when purling by themethod in the right hand end of theneedley are positioned on top of theleft hand end.

The interchangeability of Ytips of diierent shape makes it easy toreverse the knitting. as it requires only the interchanging of the tips.

The tip 9 tapers outwardly from the joint and is several sizes smallerthan the hook end, so as to facilitate the movement of the needle in theknitting, as it will feed faster andeasier by such a construction.

Instead of securing rigid pieces 6 to the ends oi the band andv thenremovably securing the tips 9 and I2 to` the end pieces -a constructionlike that shown in Figure 5 can be employed. .In this construction the'piece B and tip 9 are com-v bined sofas to form a single rigid needle6a and the piece 8 and hooked tip l2 are similarly combined.

When the construction shown -in Figure 5 is used one end of'the needle6a is provided with a threaded socket for the reception of the thread-.ed end Ha of the iiexible band 5. When the tips-are to be interchangedto reverse the knitting they are unscrewed and interchanged as explainedin connection with tips 9 may even have the threaded socket.

movable tips 8- and I2 arelidentical with those It is, of course,possible to embody -this invention with ordinary rigid needles, as shownin Figures 6 and 7. The parts designated as 6b are similar to thatdesignated as 6av in Figure 5, and

The reshown in Figure 1. The method-of operation Y remains the same.

When tubular garments are knitted, a band `type needle is used,'butwhenarticles like scarfs are knitted, straight needles must be used',in-

which case the -tlps are interchanged at each course.

It is to be understood that some instances l a single hook may beemployed instead of a double hook, as indicated at i 8 in Figure 8.

Having described it e invention, what is claimed as new is:- v v whichthe thread and the prongs aocaosr 1. A pair of knitting needles, one ofwhich has its working end provided with a spherical tip and the otherneedle having a two pronged hook, cooperative with the spherical tip.

2.' A pair oi.' knitting needles, one oi which has a tapered end portionremovably attached thereto, and the other of which has a removable endportion whose tip is formed into a two pronged hook.

3. A pair of knitting needles having one end provided withthreadedsockets and the other ends terminating, one in a spherical point' andthe otherin a hook.

4. A knitting needle having a central exible portion and rigid endsprovided with unlike interchangeable tips, one oi which terminates in aspherical enlargement.

5. A knitting needle having a central flexible portion and rigid endsprovided with lunlike in terchangeable tips, one of which terminates ina hook, and the othe in a spherical enlargement.

6. A knitting needle having a central flexible portion and rigidterchangeable tips, one

ends provided with unlike inoi' which terminates in a 1 double prongedhook. i

7. A knitting needle having a central flexible and a exible connectiontherebetween, and av two-prong-hooktip on one of the extremities,

xbeing on the same side of the extremity.

11. A knitting needle comprising a rigid shank, and a two-prongedpointed'tip on an -endv of the shank,- the'prongs being on the sameyside of the shank.

12. In knittingequipmentya two-prongedhook for the knitting end of aneedle, theprongs being on the same side of the hook; 1

. 13. As a new article of manufacture, av knitting4 'needle having atwopronged hook, the

prongs the needle.

beingon .the same side of ETHEL W. BURNHAM.

